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Classroom and Self-Directed Learning Resources

First Day, 2024-08-15

Welcome to Computer Science

Your Previous Computer Science Experience

Join Your Class in Google Classroom

Daily Reflections

micro:bits and Smart Cutebot Cars

Smart Cutebot Cars

Let’s unbox the cars and learn how to control them using the micro:bit by programming using blocks or Python.

Mark Rober’s HackPack Turret

Mark Rober’s HackPack Turret

This fun toy is controlled by a computer program written in the C++ language, running on a microcontroller. We’ll study it, and you’ll write code to enhance it.

Self-Directed Learning Activities

See Resources at the top of this page.

2024-08-20

Daily Reflections

micro:bits and Smart Cutebot Cars

2024-08-22

Critical Thinking

  • Anchoring bias: The tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information encountered when making decisions.
  • Strawman fallacy: Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack.

Critical thinking cards

micro:bits and Smart Cutebot Cars

Let’s do some of the projects in the Cutebot manual, in any order. I hope some of you will use the distance sensor, which is very helpful for avoiding collisions.

Daily Reflections

2024-08-27

Computing in the News

The Top Programming Languages 2024

micro:bits and Smart Cutebot Cars

Continue coding the projects in the Cutebot manual, then add your own ideas. Describe what you did in your daily reflection.

2024-08-29

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking cards

micro:bits and Smart Cutebot Cars

Together we’ll make a project where, from a remote control, you can send commands to the car’s micro:bit. Not with tilting, like before, but by selecting a command and then touching the logo.

Remote Control

  • Use A and B to select which command to send. Make up your own commands, such as:
    • Go forward and then back
    • make a small circle
    • make a large circle
    • turn on the lights
  • Show the selected command on the LEDs, using one of the show string, show number, show leds, or show icon blocks
  • Touch the logo to send the selected command

The Car

  • Use the radio blocks to receive the command
  • Determine which command was sent and execute it

Daily Reflections

2024-09-03

Computing in the News

A South African vineyard is dropping predatory wasps from drones to keep its grapes free from bugs

micro:bits and Smart Cutebot Cars

If you like, try using the Elecfreaks grabber attachment with the Cutebot.

Daily Reflections

2024-09-05

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking cards

micro:bits, Hot Wheels, and Smart Cutebot Cars

Mr. Briccetti has brought some Hot Wheels track, and servo motor–powered gates that can be controlled by a micro:bit.

Maybe you can think of a project that combines Hot Wheels with the Cutebot cars.

Daily Reflections

2024-09-10

Computing in the News

How Self-Driving Cars Get Help From Humans Hundreds of Miles Away

Mr. Briccetti’s former student and teaching assistant Chris Gibson works at that company.

New Cutebot Video

Check out this Menacing Cutebot Video. Does this give you some ideas? (Lights, sounds)

p5.js

In two dimensions

We learned how to change colors and draw rectangles.

In three dimensions

We made a sphere and rotated it around the y axis.

Daily Reflections

2024-09-10

Exercise: Identify the bias or fallacy

p5.js

In three dimensions

Let’s learn about rotating and moving objects such as cubes and spheres.

Daily Reflections